Border security, police funding on the agenda when the minister avoided alarm over Nigerian security architecture

In an honest and urgent speech, the Minister of Home Affairs Nigeria, Olubunmi Supi-ojo, sounded an alarm for what he called a fundamental crack in the country’s internal security infrastructure, warning that institutions that lack funds and porous borders were increasingly in the vulnerability of Nigeria’s vulnerability to be unclear.

Speaking in the constitutional review of the Legislative Dialogue on National Security, organized by the DPR Committee on the constitutional review on Monday in Abuja, Tunji-ojo provides a serious assessment of how systemic neglect, especially in funding and strategic orientation of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), is this country with risks.

The Nigerian border, stretches around 4,024 square kilometers, remains dangerous porous, said the Minister. Apart from the amount of task, NIS is expected to carry out his duties with a budget of only ₦ 10 billion, the number he described as “is very insufficient.”

“If you kill a terrorist and the border is porous, 20 will enter,” Tupi-ojo warned, capturing the nature of the Nigerian security dilemma. He called for a more pragmatic and results -oriented approach to border control than what he called “playing to the gallery.”

The implications of such lacking resources are very striking: the movement of sustainable cross-border weapons, traders, and extremists not only damage the efforts of military and intelligence but also makes citizens constantly exposed to violence and chaos.

Tunji-ojo further questioned the logic behind the National Police which remained very dependent on the allocation of federal budget for recurring expenses and capital.

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“I do not see the reason why our police even have to rely on budget allocations,” he said, noting that fiscal dependence is very limiting operational autonomy, responsive, and innovation in the troops.

In essence, the Minister is of the opinion that a country that is complex and challenged by security because Nigeria is unable to treat its internal security organs as a mere budget line in the national ledger. “We must decide: do we want a functioning system, or are we satisfied with optics?”

Perhaps one of the most open parts of his speech is his criticism of default assistance to the military for dealing with internal security issues.

“For the average Nigerians, when you talk about internal security, the first thing that comes to mind is the military. That is a sign of the failure of our internal security institutions,” he said.

While he praised the competencies of institutions such as the State Service Department (DSS) and recognized the strong leadership of the National Security Advisor (NSA), the statement of the Tunji-ojo underlines the long-standing concern: Military Military Domestic Safety Problems are symptoms of deeper institutional institutions.

The minister also diverted attention to Nigerian readiness, or his absence, for modern digital threats, mentioning the current state approach to outdated cybersecurity and disconnected.

“We are still alive 20 years behind,” he complained, advocating for a united and strong cybersecurity architecture. Dependence on the ad hoc strategy, according to him, makes Nigeria exposed to dangerous in the world that is increasingly defined by digital warfare and threat of information.

The statement of Tunji-ojo reflects increased recognition within the federal government that the Nigerian security crisis is not only about isolated attacks or increasing crime rates. This is a systemic problem that is rooted in poor planning, lack of chronic funds, and fragmented strategies.

When the country continued to grab the rebellion in the northeast, farmers clashed in the middle belt, bandits in the northwest, and separatist riots in the southeast, the question was no longer whether the country was overwhelmed but whether it was well equipped to respond altogether.

His comments should not be seen only as a minister who vent frustration, but as a critical moment to take into account. The future of Nigeria’s national security will depend on whether this hard truth leads to an urgent or fading structural reform into the passage cycle that is missed.

The essence is clear: In order for Nigeria to secure his people and preserve his democracy, he must invest in his border, empower the police, reduce dependence on the military, and prepare threats that arise in cyberspace. Whatever is lacking, the minister warns, will be a dangerous bet.